


A Song Played On A Solo Saxophone

by LisaB1991



Category: Suits (TV)
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-19
Updated: 2014-11-19
Packaged: 2018-02-26 06:53:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2642318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LisaB1991/pseuds/LisaB1991
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harvey is about to close a very special person tonight..</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Song Played On A Solo Saxophone

**Author's Note:**

> I realized I never published this on here.. I'm writing a sort-of sequel to this fic, based on personal experiences, but I wanted to have Mike look back on the events that take place in this fic.. So here it is. 
> 
> My entry for the fourth Marvey Fic Challenge. 
> 
> Original author's notes used on Tumblr:  
> I took some liberties here; this is somewhat set during season 4, but at the same time, it’s not. I sometimes like to make things a bit complicated. You’ll see what I mean. Rachel and Mike never got together, so no Logan/Rachel/Mike drama has occurred. Also, Grammy’s still alive. I miss her.
> 
> P.S.: I wrote this in my spare time at night, haven’t had the chance to check it, so if it’s filled with mistakes, I apologize.
> 
> P.P.S.: Will post this on AO3 in the morning. Just wanted to meet the deadline on Tumblr in time (which I clearly didn't)
> 
> P.P.P.S.: Yes. The title is from Miss Saigon (Last Night of the World). Thought it fits nicely.

Mike hurriedly made his way towards the partner’s offices. Proofing the Kincaid briefs he promised Harvey to finish before noon had turned out to be a hell of a job, even for his genius self. It was nearly 2.30, and Harvey hadn’t showed up yet or texted him about his whereabouts, to rub it into his face he maybe wasn’t exactly as fit for the job as he used to be, before leaving the firm to become an investment banker. He just hoped Harvey wasn’t there, that he had left for court, or gone out on a belated lunch, a business meeting with a client, anything really.. it didn’t matter. As long as Harvey wasn’t there to give him a lecture, he was fine with it. Not that he was naïve enough to believe Harvey had forgotten about it, especially with Donna keeping track of everything that happened in the firm, on- and off-schedule, but he decided to take the chance after all. He would sneak into Harvey’s office, place the folder neatly beneath a pile, while making sure it would stick out enough for Harvey to notice it right away.

As he came closer towards Donna’s cubicle and Harvey’s office, his heart sank in his shoes when he noticed the door to Harvey’s office was ajar, and that Harvey was actually there. Nearing Donna’s cubicle, he tried to gauge her mood from a distance. She had satisfied smile on her face, despite the fact that she seemed completely buried in her work. When she noticed him coming her way cautiously, her smile widened as she reached for the folder in his hand.

“You can give that to me, kid. He’s.. occupied at the moment.” Mike frowned as he shifted his gaze towards his boss’ office. There was no one else there, and it was completely quiet in there, except for the soft tones of music coming from the record player in the corner. “Occupied how? He’s not even on the phone, why is he—” and then he noticed. Harvey was strolling around his office, glass of scotch in his hand, a small smile playing on his lips. He looked happy, content. But that was not what got Mike’s attention. The older man was  _humming_  to himself. Mike didn’t realize he had been gaping at him, until Donna fetched him out of his trance by discreetly clearing her throat. “You know you’re catching flies at the moment, right?” Shaking his head a bit to try to focus on the woman before him, who was looking at him with one perfectly shaped eyebrow raised, he managed to shift his attention back to the executive assistant with effort.

“What’s going on? I’ve never seen him so.. so..”

“Oh, you know.. He’s about to close a very special person tonight.”

“Really? Who is it?”

“Mike? Get in here!” Harvey’s voice, though not unkind, startled Mike, but he handed the file over to Donna nonetheless and swiftly made his way towards the older man. Whatever had happened, or was about to happen tonight, he didn’t want to foul Harvey’s mood.

“Hey, whatcha need me to do?” Mike asked, as he stood in the middle of the room, facing Harvey, who stood next to his record collection, reverently stroking one of his favorites, his back turned towards his associate.

“You,” he replied, without turning around to make eye contact, as he slightly tapped his foot to the rhythm of the soothing music that filled the room.

“Me?” Mike asked incredulously.

“Yes, you. Like Donna said, I’m about to close a very special person tonight, and I want you there.”  
  
“Tonight.. Shit, Harvey, I..”

“What?”

Finally, Harvey turned around after hearing the tone in Mike’s voice. It sounded somewhat disappointed and persistent at the same time, as if to say that any resistance on Mike’s part would be totally useless. “You already had plans for tonight?”

“Yeah,” Mike answered, suddenly feeling uncomfortable with Harvey’s steadfast gaze directed at him. He looked anywhere except at Harvey’s face and large brown eyes. At much as he wanted to help Harvey with his case, to make him proud, he had promised his grandmother to come by tonight. He had already postponed his visit three times, he wasn’t going to let her down once again, like last time. “I’m seeing my grandmother tonight, Harvey. She hasn’t been well recently, and..

And I know you’d only let me see her in situations like these if she’d be dying right now, but…” Mike sighed, as he closed his eyes for a minute. It would be so much easier if Harvey would show just a little bit of compassion from time to time. Grammy was the only family member he had left, the only one who loved him unconditionally. It was time he showed her how much she meant  _to him_.

“You know what? Take the rest of the afternoon off, go and see your grandmother. Just make sure you’ll be on time.” Mike blinked once. Twice. This wasn’t happening. Harvey’s wasn’t giving him shit for not meeting his deadline, he wasn’t telling him to reschedule his visit to his grandmother.. And on top of that, he was giving him the rest of the day  _off_?

“You sure?” As alluring as it all sounded, Mike thought it better to double check it with his boss. No matter what had gotten his boss in such a good mood, Mike really didn’t want to risk a sudden mood swing and face the consequences afterwards. “Yeah, go. Meet me at the St. Regis Hotel at seven sharp. Don’t be late,” Harvey pointed a finger at Mike to emphasize the order. All Mike could do, was nod happily and hastily make his way down the corridor, before Harvey would change his mind. Hopefully, his grandmother wasn’t going to jump to the wrong conclusions when he showed up on her doorstep on a regular week day before six in the evening.   
  
In his haste, he didn’t pay attention to the look Harvey and Donna exchanged before they proceeded to their respective business once again; Harvey lost in thought, humming good-naturedly, while Donna made sure the reservations for tonight were made in time.

This night promised to be unforgettable, because everything that was at least manageable, was  _perfect_.

 

After meeting with his grandmother that afternoon, Mike hurriedly rode his bike back to his apartment in Brooklyn. It was nearly a quarter past five, and it would take him at least half an hour to get from Brooklyn to St. Regis. As he clumsily climbed the stairs towards his apartment, bike in hand, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Probably Harvey to let him know he’d better not screw it up by coming late. Sighing, he dug his key when he arrived on the top of the stairs, so he could open the door without any further delay, and quickly take a shower before changing into a clean suit. Riding your bike through the streets of New York during rush hour wasn’t exactly advantageous to your personal hygiene.

As he extended his arm to push his key in his lock, he nearly stumbled on a package, which lay abandoned on his doorstep. Frowning, he opened the door, leaned his bike against it and carefully lifted the box op. No address, no name or card was attached. After looking around to see if someone was nearby, he decided to take the package inside and have a better look at it. But just as he sat down on his couch with the box on his lap, he felt his phone vibrate a second time, only this time the ringtone went off as well. Mike quickly pulled his phone from his pocket to check the caller ID. Harvey.

“Hey, what’s up?”

“ _You found the box that was delivered?”_

“Was it yours?”

Mike smiled wistfully when he heard a muffled curse from the other side of the line. “Jesus, you haven’t opened it yet? Hurry up and get yourself ready! I need you in that hotel at seven, I’m not going to stand around and make myself look ridiculous while waiting for you, because you couldn’t keep track of time!” And with that, the line went dead again. Who had dared to stump on Harvey’s foot so hard that his good mood from earlier this afternoon had completely disappeared?

Sighing, Mike opened the text message Harvey sent him earlier.  _'I sent Ray to come pick you up at 6:15, so you'll have enough time to reach the hotel, even if you end up in a jam. Be a good boy and wear what's inside the box. Don't cheat. Mr. Gordon has a sharp eye for detail, so I can only let you come if I can be sure you are at least impeccably dressed.'_

Not wasting another minute, Mike shot up from the couch and practically ran to his bathroom to get a shower. After a record time of five minutes, he stormed towards the couch, with only a towel around his narrow hips, grabbed the box and took it towards his bedroom. He rummaged through some drawers to get a pair of socks and clean boxer shorts, not giving himself a second to check if the color of his socks even matched. From what he had heard, this was a huge deal for Harvey, despite the fact that he was generally known as New York’s best closer. He didn’t want to piss Harvey off or make a fool out of him by running late again.

Making his way through the crowded lobby as rapidly as humanly possible, Mike finally arrived at the receptionist’s desk. He quickly inquired after Harvey and their client, afraid he’d missed his boss in the crowds. As he checked his watch, he found he was two minutes late, which made him feel uneasier by the second. Harvey was nowhere in sight, and the receptionist was unaware of the fact that he was hurry, as she took her time to make a call.  
   
“If you’d be so kind to take a seat sir,” the receptionist nodded into the general direction of some luxurious couches. “Mr. Álvarez will be right with you.”  
   
Mike let his gaze wander through the large lobby, but remained standing. He still had hope he’d spot Harvey in the crowd, checking his watch, irritated because Mike was late again. But he wasn’t there. Either he had entered the restaurant, or had taken a seat at the bar.   
   
A pleasant, deep voice suddenly pulled him out of his reverie. “Mr. Ross?” Mike turned around to face a rather small, aging, bald man standing in front of him, impeccably dressed with a warm smile on his lips. Mike nodded as he took the man’s hand and shook it. “Good evening sir, my name is Guillermo Álvarez, I’m the manager.”   
   
“Pleased to meet you,” Mike answered politely, at a loss about why the man came to him. He obviously knew who he was, but Mike was sure he had never met the man. The St. Regis hotel was not exactly a place he frequently came.  
   
“Mr. Specter made reservations for the two of you. He has given me instructions to escort you upstairs, to the Bentley Suite.” Mike didn’t dare to blink, as he stared at the older man incredulously. “There must be some mistake, sir. We’re about to meet a client here, I’m sure he’s already waiting at the restaurant or the bar, I—”  
   
“Mr. Specter has given me clear instructions, sir. He’s waiting for you upstairs. Now, if you would please follow me?” Mike realized he had no other option than to follow the man towards the elevators.  
   
The luxurious Bentley Suite, situated at the fifteenth floor of the prestigious hotel, was simply magnificent. It combined exactly the right amount of modern luxury with classic accents. Mike didn’t know where to look first when Mr. Álvarez led him in. He didn’t even notice when Mr. Álvarez closed the door behind Mike, leaving him standing all by himself in the foyer.

"You’re late," a voice suddenly whispered in his ears, startling Mike. He swiftly turned around to find Harvey standing right behind him. "Jesus Christ, Harvey! Don’t ever scare me like that again! What are you, some sort of ninja? You nearly gave me a heart attack!"  
   
“Don’t make fun of heart attacks, Mike. The fact that you have a bad conscience is bad enough. Not to mention the fact that you’re clearly deaf, I called your name twice, but you wouldn’t respond. Has your infamous grandmother stolen the batteries from your hearing aid or something?”  
   
“I- I’m sorry Harvey,” Mike offered, who suddenly seemed to find his polished shoes beyond fascinating. He didn’t require a hearing aid, though some of the other associates sometimes complained when the music from his earbuds was so loud, they could hear every sung word coming out of it. That didn’t mean his hearing was bad, though. He had been in awe with his surroundings, wanting to take in every detail, the entirety of it all was, after all, quite overwhelming for the young man.  
   
Harvey dismissed his apology with a curt shake of the head. “Don’t worry about it, I’m just messing with you, but…”  
   
Harvey’s hesitation immediately caught Mike’s attention, so he shifted his gaze to the older man. He didn’t know what to expect when he leveled his gaze on Harvey’s face, but he certainly hadn’t expected to find Harvey looking at him somewhat mockingly. Harvey Specter clearly did not approve. And that’s when he realized what was wrong. But just as he opened his mouth to offer some sort of explanation, Harvey beat him to it.  
   
“Where’s the tie? There was also a tie in the box, where is it?”

Mike swallowed and pulled the treacherous thing from his pocket. “Couldn’t figure it out how to put it on.”

Harvey all but rolled his eyes at this, his lips a thin, disapproving line. “You’ve been to at least two events where you had to wear your bow tie. The first time, I took it upon myself to tie it for you. And if I remember correctly, the second time you managed to tie it yourself pretty well, or I assumed you had. How come you didn’t remember how to do it this time?”

“Last time, I asked my grandmother to do it.”

Shaking his head in mock frustration, Harvey took Mike by the arm and led him through the foyer towards the living room.  The evening sun illuminated the room through the floor to ceiling windows, bathing the furniture in a reddish glow. Halting them in front of a small desk, facing the round mirror that hung behind it. As Mike leaned forward slightly to place his knuckles on the wooden surface of the desk, Harvey, who was standing closely behind him, took the liberty to place the tie around Mike’s neck, his skilled fingers taking their time as he leisurely, but determined, tied the piece of cloth around his neck. “There,” Harvey mumbled, moving his hands to rest on Mike’s shoulders for a second, before he stepped away all of a sudden. Mike tried his best to mask his disappointment when Harvey’s close presence was robbed from him. He immediately missed the heat that had come radiating from the older man, not to mention his warm breath just behind his ear. He hadn’t realized he had held his breath until he released it, pushing the air from his lungs with a shudder. He was confused, because he felt bereft, but at the same time, relieved. He just didn’t know why. All he needed to do, was focus on tonight, to do what was necessary to win over this, apparently, more-than-important-client. The only problem was, that the name didn’t ring a bell. Well maybe a vague one, but it was too dusty to make out who it was supposed to be. It was obvious Harvey knew the man, and it wasn’t an impossibility, because Mike knew he had to take in consideration that lots of things can happen, and must have happened, during seven months of absence. But that didn’t explain the faint feeling of recognition. What was so special about this Mr. Gordon?

Shaking his head to retain his composure, afraid Harvey might sense his anything but calm demeanor, Mike turned away from the mirror and followed him into the adjoining room; the dining room to be precise. The room wasn’t overly spacious, but the table was large enough to seat ten people. The cabinet on the left side of the table held a miniature version of some vintage Bentley model, and above it, sixteen photo frames hang on the wall, displaying old pictures of Bentley models and advertorials, all black and white, as was the furniture. Mike knew Harvey had a thing for fast cars, but he hadn’t expected him to be sentimental. Still, Harvey seemed perfectly at home here, he just fit in. It was almost embarrassing really, how little effort in took from Harvey to just act all graceful and self-assured, no matter what situation he’d find himself in. So unfair.

His eyes were immediately drawn back towards the dining table. It was set for two. What was happening? Weren’t they supposed to meet a client?

“Harvey, what…” For some reason, Mike was unable to complete the sentence, because too many thoughts were clouding his mind. Wasn’t Mike supposed to join the two gentlemen for dinner? Should he have taken the chance to bring some takeout with him on the way to the hotel? Had Harvey, or Donna, failed to make the right reservations? And where was this client?! Surely Harvey didn’t appreciate his lateness either.

 _"I need the perfect gift."_  
   
 _“Who is it? Rachel? Something personal, preferably a picture from her father.”_  
  
 _“How could you possibly—?”_  
  
 _“Jessica? Simple and elegant. Or wild and crazy, the choice is yours. Louis? Oh, God, doesn’t matter. Just get him anything. He’ll cry for days.”_  
  
 _“What about Harvey?”_  
  
 _“There is no gift for Harvey. He gets what he wants, and he doesn’t want what he doesn’t get._  
 _And my knowing that is the only gift he’ll ever need from me.”_  
  
 _“Donna, ever since I’ve been here, every morning, I step off that elevator wondering if this is going to be my last day. Last week, that day came, and Harvey said ‘not today’. I just… I need to get him something to let him know what that means to me.”_  
  
 _“Okay.”_  
  
 _“What?”_  
  
 _“There is one thing that Harvey has been wanting to get for years, and he hasn’t been able to.”_  
  
 _“What is it?”_  
  
 _“No, it’s too personal. And I don’t see how you’re going to be able to make it happen when he couldn’t.”_  
  
 _“Whatever it is, it’ll make the perfect gift.”_  
  
 _“Alright. You know his late father was a saxophone player, right? And that he lost him six years ago? He found the master tapes for his father’s solo album. He’s working on buying them. He’s been trying to find them ever since he lost his father..”_  
  
 _[Two weeks later]_  
 _“Donna?! What’s this box doing on my desk?”_  
  
 _“It’s a gift, Harvey.”_  
  
 _“I don’t see any wrapping paper or ribbons..”_  
  
 _“Because Mike knew you didn’t want anything extravagant so anyone would be bound to notice that you, of all people, had actually received a gift from someone. Go on, open it up.”_  
  
  
 _...._  
  
  
 _“It’s my dad’s tapes..”_  
  
  
"I’ll explain everything to you, but not here. Let’s go back to the living room, and I’ll tell you everything you need to know," and with an assuring smile, Harvey gestured towards the door behind them, Extending his arm to let Mike turn around towards the sitting room, Harvey winked in Mike’s direction and let him precede.

   
Mike’s breath caught when he finally noticed the all too familiar box standing next to the coffee table. Why hadn’t he noticed that before? Mike was suddenly screamingly aware of his surroundings when he felt Harvey’s hand on the small of his back, and his warm breath on his neck sending shivers down his spine. He tried to swallow, but had difficulties doing so, when Harvey wound his hand around Mike’s waist to pull him closer to him. “I figured I never properly thanked you for giving me my father’s master tapes.”  
   
Tearing his gaze away from the box, Mike shifted his glance to rest on Harvey’s throat, his Adam’s apple moving convulsively up and down as he swallowed. It distracted him, but not as much as drowning in those beautiful brown orbs of him would.  
   
“So I figured the best way to thank you.. Was to come up with something as original as the gift had been. I can’t possibly begin to tell you how much it meant to me, Mike..”  
   
“And when you said you were about to close a very important person..”  
   
“Yeah, I meant you. I figured I had to come with something to make sure you’d show up here tonight, unquestioning.”  
   
“So Mr. Gordon..”  
   
“Gordon Specter, my late father, yes.”

"A thank you card would have sufficed, Harvey, really."  
   
“I object to that. You went through a lot in the last couple of weeks, you deserve a proper thank you for gifting me an immortal piece of my dad I never thought I would ever obtain. It took me years to track those tapes down, but once I found the owner, he rebuffed me. Every. Single. Time.”  
   
“It must have been frustrating. For once, you didn’t immediately get what you wanted.”  
   
Harvey laughed sarcastically. “You’re missing the point here,” he replied, as he carefully massaged Mike at the base of his neck with a single, muscular hand. “The fact that you managed to get them, how you did it.. Is beyond me. And, believe it or not, I will always be grateful about it. The most important thing though, and the reason why I arranged all this,” he continued, gesturing around the room, “is because you reunited me with a piece of my father I never thought would be restored to me. I once believed my search had ended prematurely, and I never dared to hope that one day, my rookie associate would return it to me.”  
   
“It would seem you care about me after all..” Mike managed to say, his voice hoarse, with a teasing hint to it. Harvey didn’t reply to that, but instead he increased the pressure on Mike’s muscles, making him tremble at his touch and ache for more as he leaned closer to Harvey, savoring his warmth and the delicious smell of his cologne.  
   
“You can say all you want, as long as we’re clear that whatever is said or done here tonight, will be kept to ourselves. Whatever happens here, tonight, is our business, and ours alone. I’m sick of sharing you with others, every single goddamn day..” Mike wasn’t surprised Harvey was this blunt to, more or less, acknowledge the attraction that had been building between the two of them ever since the day they met. If he was being honest, he felt elated at the older man’s revelation.   
   
“Donna said that, whatever you want, you’ll make sure you’ll get it.”  
   
“She’s damn right about that,” Harvey murmured, as he slowly lowered his head and traced a path down Mike’s neck with his tongue. “Will you be mine, Mike? Even if it’s only for one night?”  
   
Mike pushed him away slightly. “You’re seriously asking me that right now,” his voice low, an incredulous look in his eyes. “Shit Harvey.. I’m all yours since the day I stumbled into that goddamned hotel suite, carrying a suitcase filled with pot!”  
   
Harvey chuckled at this, a hint of humor in his chocolate brown eyes. “It was quite memorable..”  
   
“So, what was your plan for tonight?”  
   
“Well, when closing someone, you’ll simply start by wining and dining them..”  
   
“‘Start’?”  
   
“Experience has taught me that you need to be persuasive and persisting at times.”

   
“In other words, you wanted to woo me.”  
   
“I’ll admit, I had a hard time deciding how and where I could woo a certain Michael James Ross..”  
   
“And have you made up your mind yet?”  
   
“More or less. Look, there’s full butler service here. They are setting the table as we speak. How about.. I introduce you to my father first?”  
   
Mike felt honored, but uncomfortable at the same time. Mike could sense that Harvey’s father had been, and always would be, Harvey’s idol. That he would never get the chance to meet Mr. Gordon Specter pained him, and he was disappointed by it, but getting acquaintaned with a dead person was simpy impossible, even for Harvey. Unless he had a secret of his own, but Mike seriously doubted it.  
   
“Harvey, I’d love to, but..”  
   
“I know, my father is gone. But I’d like you to meet him through his music. He wasn’t exactly a man of many words-“  
   
“No wonder, it must run in the family then.”  
   
Harvey continued, unperturbed. “And whatever he could’t express with words, he used music to deliver the message. Here,” and Harvey released Mike to step away from him, so he could turn on the record player. The room was suddenly filled with the jazzy tones of a saxophone.   
   
“Mike, meet my dad.” And with a sigh, Mike stepped closer to Harvey and wound an arm around his waist. “Thank you. Thank you for tonight. Thank you for hiring me, for introducing me to your dad, who I would have loved to have met in real life.. But most of all, thank you for being you. For everything you are, everything you stand for.. Everything you mean to me.”

"You’re welcome," Harvey murmured, his voice low and tempting, as he moved back a few steps, extending his hand to Mike. "May I have this dance?"  
   
“Harvey, are you sure?”  
   
“Dance with me, Mike. Please,” Harvey added, though it was quite unnecessary, because it was more some sort of order instead of a request. Mike chuckled as he gave his hand to Harvey, giving it a reassuring squeeze.   
   
And as they spun around the room to Gordon Specter’s music, too focused on each other to notice anything else, Harvey realized that this night, this godsend in his arms that wore the name  of Michael James Ross, was without a doubt his largest victory, his final destination. And life was good, it felt whole again. And as his late father’s music drifted through the room, enveloping them, connecting them.. Harvey knew that, wherever his father might be at that exact moment, he was sure he’d be smiling, saluting them with his bottle of beer.   
   
Life wasn’t good. Life was perfect. And all through a song, played on a solo saxophone..


End file.
